By Renee Hunter

With most banks headquartered in financial centers, capitals or county seats, First Service Bank’s institutional location in Greenbrier is unique.

“You typically don’t expect to find that here,” said Jon Patrom, marketing and development officer at First Service.

Between its institutional and branch employees, First Service is the third largest employer in this town of 4,500. It is also heavily involved in the community. Indeed, its 2009 calendar cover reads, “hometown pride.”

“Hometown pride” doesn’t apply just to Greenbrier. First Service has eight other banks in seven other towns: Yellville, Flippin, Shirley, Mountain View, Marshall, Dermott and Clinton (which has two locations). 

 “We’re from the top to the bottom of the state,” said Jon, pointing out that Marion County (where Yellville is the seat) borders Missouri and Chicot County (where Dermott is the seat) borders Louisiana.

“We have seven board members from eight of our locations,” said Tom Grumbles, president and chief operating officer. “That keeps us in touch with the communities.”

But First Service bankers provide more than financial services. “We want to give back to the communities,” Tom added. “We don’t keep track of our volunteer hours, but it’s in the thousands.”

Because it is a small-community bank, First Service is expanding in a time when many other financial institutions are feeling the economic crunch. Ground has been broken in Greenbrier for a new institutional operations center that should be occupied by summer. The building is phase one of a plan that will eventually double the bank’s corporate space. It will include a much-needed new boardroom so more space will be available for meetings and training. Moving the institutional staff will ease the squeeze on the Greenbrier area employees, according to Greenbrier Area President Marilyn Battles.

Other corporate officers are Kenneth Barnard, CFO/COO; Marlin Partney, information technology manager; Renée Nelson, compliance and audit officer; and Sharon Duncan, mortgage officer and department manager.

“They service all our locations, and they’re all headquartered here in Greenbrier,” Marilyn said. That is an added advantage for local customers, she added. “If someone has a problem with their debit card, for example, the person who can help them is here, not in India.”

The bank began in Dermott in Chicot County in 1962. Its institutional offices were moved in 1998. One reason the bank moved its charter to Greenbrier is the central location.

“From Greenbrier, most of our branches are 30-45 minutes apart,” said Jon.

“Service” as part of the bank’s name was a conscious choice. First Service bankers recognize seven service principles:

Acknowledge the customer (heads up!).

Smile and make eye contact

Use the customer’s name.

Show gratitude.

Clue in to the customer’s needs.

Take ownership.

And most important of all, according to Marilyn and Jon, practice the Golden Rule.

The introduction to this list reads: “Whether it’s in person, by mail, phone or electronically, we are to provide ‘Service’ that is top quality, friendly, and service that shows that we do ‘Care.’ Service is our middle name so let’s show it!”

“We’ve been providing good service for Arkansans for 46 years,” said Tom.

Service isn’t just being friendly, knowing people’s names and offering refreshments. It’s also providing customers with good products. “We do have some really good products,” Jon said.

One of these is a school debit card, which each area bank offers. Every time a customer uses his or her card, the school in that area benefits.

“Giving back to the schools is just being a good neighbor,” Jon said.

Another great product is the bank’s rewards program. Customers in the program earn points for a variety of things, including use of their bank debit or credit cards, banking online and direct deposits.

“Customers are rewarded for their deposits as well as for their expenditures,” Jon said. What is unique about this program, Marilyn said, is that customers receive their rewards in cash, not in toasters.

Tom often reminds the institutional officers that their “customers” are the bank’s employees, Jon said.

To that end, corporate annually holds a two-day, all-employee Christmas party during which a gift-exchange game is played with individual gifts provided by the corporation. Service pins are also handed out. The president is much in evidence, greeting all the employees and their spouses by name.

“Tom likes the camaraderie of it all,” said Jon. “The best thing that I can say about [working] here is that we’re like a tremendously large family.”